The Bat Trained the Cat
by ShadowRunner31
Summary: Jade after living with Bruce Wayne and training for over two years. Bruce looks back and wonders what he could have done differently. One shot, ties in with The Archer of Gotham. Best to read after ch 3


Bruce sat in his office starting at the letter he had found that morning. He sighed, it was from Jade, he had hoped the argument they had had could be resolved, but apparently she had not felt that way.

_Dear Bruce,  
>I'm sorry I have to leave this way but I know that if I confronted you directly you would try to stop me, and I can't stay.<br>How could you do this Bruce?  
>I've been training with you for over two years. You know I could be valuable in the field and yet you wouldn't let me join you. And to top it off you let Dick Grayson into the field, he hasn't even been living her more than a week!<br>That's insulting Bruce, and although I hate to admit it, it hurts._

_If you aren't going to take me seriously then I can't stay here. By the time you read this I'll be gone, don't bother trying to find me, even you won't be able to._

_Despite how this is ending, thank you for everything, you did teach me a lot._

_Take good care of Artemis, and Dick regardless of how I feel about your partnership he's a good kid._

_I'll be watching._

_Thanks again, Jade._

Bruce sighed as he read over the letter for what felt like the hundredth time. Jade had always had too much anger and pride, that was why he had never allowed her into the field as Batman's partner. Personally he had hoped that one day Jade would be ready, his mind drifted back to when he had found out Jade had known his secret.

It was after the dinner to celebrate Artemis' adoption into the Wayne household. It was late and Artemis exhausted from the long day had gone to bed. Bruce, Alfred and Jade were standing in the living, where the entrance to the cave was hidden.

"You seem to be implying at dinner that you knew something you shouldn't Jade," Bruce said seriously, staring at her, who knew he could pull off the stern guardian act? "With your comment of the irony that I enjoy Devil's Food cake."

"You mean that you're Batman? Yeah I know about that." Jade said so casually it practically sounded joking. Bruce only reacted by letting out a short sigh.

"How did you find out?"

"I saw Alfred coming out of the cave one morning and spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to get in, which I did." Alfred looked mortified, he turned to Bruce.

"My apologies Master Bruce, it seems I was far too careless." He said bowing his head.

"It's alright Alfred, we knew that this was a risk when we brought other people into our household, especially two with what at times seems an unhealthy amount of curiosity." Bruce said dryly. He walked over to the William Shakespeare bust and pressed the hidden button. "Because you know the truth perhaps we should continue this somewhere more private." He led Jade through the secret entrance and into the expansive cave.

Jade looked around, when she had snuck in before she hadn't spent much time exploring due to not wanting to be caught. Now that she had been welcomed in she was able to take time and appreciate just how impressive the hidden lair was. She followed Bruce as he walked over the giant computer and sat down in the swivel chair, which he turned so he was facing her.

"What do you think?" He inquired with some sound of pride in his voice.

"It's rather impressive I have to admit," Jade stated looking around, it was practically a museum of secrets, and tokens collected from Batman's time of crime fighting.

"Thank you, so then you why did you choose now to reveal that you know my secret?"

"I want in Bruce." she stated in a firm tone.

"Come again?"

"I want in, I want to be out fighting crime alongside you, as partners to one of the greatest masked crime fighters and detectives in the world."

Bruce paused. This honestly hadn't been what he expected. He turned away staring at the computer.

"Jade what I do, is beyond dangerous, it's in a category of danger of all its own." He stated simply.

"You know I have the right skill set for this Bruce." Jade, a slight edge in her voice. Bruce turned back to her.

"You are skilled... Very well, Jade I'll make you a deal."

"I'm listening."

"I'll train you, and I will allow you to join me if I feel you're ready."

"I'll pass any test you give me." Jade stated confidently.

"Then let's get started." Bruce said tapping buttons on the keyboard, "Please go stand in the ring over there." Bruce pointed to a ring painted on the floor, nodding Jade did so.

"Now what?" She asked.

"Now your first test starts."

"Wha-?" Before Jade could form one word, and robot landing next to her and started throwing punches. Readjusting herself quickly Jade started blocking the punches.

The fight didn't last sixty seconds

Because Jade took a knife hidden in her sleeve and drove it into the side of the robot's head.

She turned, and actually faltered, she hadn't expected to see Bruce looking angry.

"What was that?" He asked his voice steely.

"I stopped the fight." She said simply recomposing herself.

"With excessive force, lethal force," The anger in Bruce's voice was gone but he was still stern, "The first thing you'll have to remember when working with me is we don't kill. Ever"

There was a tense silence.

"I understand." Jade finally said nodding once.

"Alright, now lets try this again." Bruce said pushing another button. Another robot walked out and engaged in combat with Jade.

Bruce stared at the letter.

_'Admittedly that may not have been the best method.' _He sighed _'I've made mistakes and I know it, but even by the end of that session I had known that I wouldn't be able to allow her to be Batman's partner, not then anyway.'_

Jade had shown great skill, but also far too much anger and aggression. Under Bruce's orders she had tried to stop using lethal force, but she would become increasing disgruntled and become more violent the longer a fight dragged on. Usually the training would result in Jade breaking the robot's arm or another limb (it was surprisingly life like).

Bruce had told her she would need to find a different way to fight, she had accepted that quite gracefully. Her good attitude had made Bruce believe that it could be worked past. A week later he had found out this hope was futile.

Batman was finishing patrol. He was heading back to the Bat Cave, it was a quiet night, no disturbances. As the Bat-Mobile sped down the streets something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Pulling his vehicle to a sharp stop Batman leaped out.

In an ally there was a man cowering, he was covered in injuries, he was being attacked. And his assailant was a young woman with dark hair wearing a mask in the style of a cat.

"That's enough!" Batman barked.

The young woman froze, the man baked further into the ally.

"What are you doing here?" Batman growled.

"I saw him holding up a convenience store, I couldn't let him get away." She responded.

"We're leaving." Batman turned away.

"We're just leaving him? After what he did?!" she shrieked.

"Now." Was his only response.

After a moment she followed, an angry Batman could order just about anyone around. They climbed into the Bat-Mobile and started moving immediately.

"Take the mask off Jade." Batman ordered.

"I won't apologize for doing this," Jade said as she removed the mask, "And I can't believe you let him go. He could have hurt the people in that store, he had a gun!"

"He's 27, his name is Hank Freemin, a stupidly ironic name since he's been in and out of jail several times since he was fifteen." Batman rattled off.

"That's very interesting." Jade said sarcastically.

"The gun was empty Jade, the first crime he committed was armed robbery, where he was shot with his own gun. Since that event he hasn't used a loaded gun in any crime. He's intimidating but practically harmless." Jade was silent for a moment when she heard that.

"He still could have hurt them, and if you hadn't stopped me I could have gotten the money he stole." Batman held up a paper bag.

"You were so focused on getting to him you failed to notice he had dropped the money at the entrance of the ally, probably when running from you in fear."

Once again Jade was silent. They went through the secret entrance to the Bat Cave and minutes later they were parked.

"Tonight is proof of why I allow you into the field Jade. Fighting that way endangers everyone, your opponent and enemy yes, but yourself too. I understand that you never learned a different way of fighting, but you need to find one. I will help you but I can't allow you into the field until we find that."

Jade looked like she was going to protest, but instead she sighed and nodded.

"Good, now go back in the cave, there's a shower use it then go get some sleep."

"Will we train tomorrow?" Jade asked

"Yes, we will."

"Ok... good night." With that she moved quickly to the shower.

Bruce sighed. He could only imagine what could have happened if he hadn't found her. It's was completely possible that she could have killed that man, unintentionally but intentionally or not that damage could have been done.

He hoped that he could work with Jade and help her be the hero that he believed was inside her. Only time and effort would tell.

_'Clearly time and effort did not reap the benefits that had been hoped for.' _ Bruce thought bitterly.

That hadn't been the only time he had found her unauthorized in the field. On some occassions he had needed to intervene in others he only observed. But no matter how much Jade tried to improve herself, her past always shown through.

There had been improvements in other areas. Like when Artemis had needed to see a therapist. Bruce had thought that Jade should see someone too, but as predicted she wasn't exactly over the moon about the idea. It had seemed that Jade would refuse but in the end she had agreed to it in order to support her sister. Bruce had wondered if seeing the therapist would give Jade insight into how to channel her aggression or vent it in a safer way. And it had seemed that things were heading that way.

But then Bruce had done what Jade had considered unforgivable. He had passed over her for someone else, that someone being Dick Grayson. That had been the last straw as her letter had stated.

_'The most important thing right now is to figure out how to take care of Artemis.' _He thought seriously, _'Jade was her support and with her gone... things won't be easy.'_

There was a knock at the door that shook him from his thoughts.

"Come in." He called

Artemis walked in.

_'Guess the time to start is now'_ Bruce suppressed a sigh, "Artemis... Jade is..."

"I know Bruce... She left me a letter." Came the mumbled response.

Praying for strength and wisdom Bruce turned to Artemis to talk to her.

Jade was wondering the outskirts of Gotham. She had made a quick stop to a secret stash point to pick up some weapons and other supplies she had hidden for a day like this. Now she was moving fast, she didn't want to be found and talked into staying, and somehow she could imagine Bruce doing that.

"Jade Nguyen." A voice called.

Jade spun around the knife hidden in her sleeve already drawn. There was a woman standing there, she appeared unarmed but Jade didn't relax.

"Who are you?" She demanded of the woman.

"My name is Talia al Ghul, I've been sent here with a message. You've caught the attention of the Head of the Demon, the Great One, and he has an offer for you."

"I'm listening." Jade said.


End file.
